Berat

The pine forests above the city, on the slopes of the towering Tomorr mountains, provide a backdrop of appropriate grandeur. The Osumi river has cut a 915-metre deep gorge through the limestone rock on the west side of the valley to form a precipitous natural fortress, around which the town was built on several river terraces.

According to an Albanian legend, the Tomorr mountain was originally a giant, who fought with another giant, called Shpirag over a young woman. They killed each other and the girl drowned in her tears, which then became the Osum river. Mount Shpirag, named after the second giant, is on the left bank of the gorge, above the district of Gorica. Berat is known to Albanians as The City of a Thousand Windows

Berat Castle is built on a rocky hill on the left bank of the river Osum and is accessible only from the south. After being burned down by the Romans in 200 BC the walls were strengthened in the 5th century under Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II. The main entrance, on the north side, is defended by a fortified courtyard and there are three smaller entrances.

The town is still renowned for its historic architecture and scenic beauty and is known as the "Town of a Thousand Windows", due to the many large windows of the old decorated houses overlooking the town.
The Citadel overlooks the river and the modern city as well as the old Christian quarter across the river. It is a well preserved area containing narrow streets, Turkish houses and Orthodox churches.

The Ethnographic Museum dated back to the XVIII Century. It’s part of the country creation over all idealized and built from the country masters. The main attraction of this residence is the open volumes of the lobby and the porch. This residence is equipped with non-moveable furniture that serve for the preservation of the household objects, wooden case, wall-closets, chimneys, wells, etc. This residence has some rooms that serve only for, living, eating, sleeping, cooking and so on.

The outside environment of this museum is known for combining nature with massive museum objects. Parallel to the well is placed the olive-press, and the wool-press which presses the olives and gets their oil.
There are also many massive ceramic dishes that were used to contain liquids.

Modern Berat consists of three parts divided by the Osum River: Gorica, Mangalem and Kalaja.